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The Governor of the State of North Carolina is an elected Constitutional officer, the head of the Executive branch, and the highest state office in North Carolina. The Governor is popularly elected every four years by a plurality and is limited to two consecutive terms.

Additionally, no Governor-elect may take office until she has taken an oath before the Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court.

Elections

North Carolina elects governors in the Presidential elections, that is, in leap years. For North Carolina, 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016 are all gubernatorial election years. Legally, the gubernatorial inauguration is always set for the first day in the January following an election. Thus, January 1, 2013 and January 1, 2017 are inaugural days.

Vacancies

The Lieutenant Governor-elect takes office as the Governor is the Governor-elect fails to qualify. The Lieutenant Governor also takes over as Governor any time the sitting governor dies, resign, or is removed from office.

If the Governor is absent or unable to discharge the office due to mental or physical illness, the Lieutenant Governor becomes the Acting Governor.

If the Governor wishes to declare his temporary or permanent inability to discharge the office, he does so in writing be making a declaration to the Attorney General. The Governor may also resume his office by making a similar written declaration to the Attorney General.

The General Assembly may take a vote and declare, by a two-thirds majority of both chambers, that the Governor is unfit for the office by reason of mental incapacity. The legislature shall then give the Governor notice and hear the case before a joint session. When the legislature is in recess, the General Council may convene for the same purpose and follow the same procedure.

Removing the Governor from office for any other reason must be done as an impeachment.

Duties

Excepting the Governor's use of the State Seal of North Carolina and the gubernatorial power to make vacancy appointments, all Constitutional duties are laid out in Article III, Section 5.

The governor heads the Council of State. The governor is responsible for preparing and presenting the state budget to the General Assembly of North Carolina. Additionally,the governor of North Carolina has extensive powers of appointment of executive branch officials, some judges, and members of boards and commissions. The governor serves as Commander in Chief of the state military forces except when they are called into the service of the United States.

Other duties and privileges of the office include:

Residing at the official residence of the Governor

Making a periodic address to the state legislature concerning the state of North Carolina and giving recommendation to the legislature

Regularly monitoring the state budget to ensure that principal and interest on bonds and notes are paid promptly, and "effect[ing] the necessary economies" if revenue will not be sufficient to meet expenditures

Granting reprieves, commutations, and pardons, not including convictions for impeachment

Convening extraordinary session of the state legislature

Nominating and, with consent of the Senate, appointing all offices not otherwise provided for

Requiring written information from the head of any administrative department of office on the state of the office

Reorganizing the executive branch by making " such changes in the allocation of offices and agencies and in the allocation of those functions, powers, and duties as he considers necessary for efficient administration"

Reconvening the regular session of the General Assembly, not more than 40 days after sine die, for the sole purpose of considering bills returned by the Governor to the Assembly

Keeping and using "The Great Seal of the State of North Carolina" and signing all commissions granted by the state of North Carolina (§ 10)

Making vacancy appointments to all other Executive offices established by the Constitution, including making Interim and Acting appointments when the elected officeholders absence or disability is not permanent (§ 7)

State budget

The budget for the Governor's office in Fiscal Year 2013 was $5,438,279.[1]